For many, opening Netflix today will present something a bit revelatory. In their already impressive 2020 line-up is something that we haven’t seen much of: a genuine musical. While I personally believe that we’re in a silver age for the movie musicals, it’s still exciting to come to this time of year and notice that there’s someone out there making a giant, shameless spectacle. In this case, it’s director Ryan Murphy making his second stage-to-screen adaptation of the year (The Boys in the Band (2020)) with The Prom (2020). With a star-studded cast, it sounds tempting to just dive in, to get lost in the wondrous awe that is sure to come from this story.
With that said, I am personally shocked that The Prom exists. It’s not because I object to any part of the story, but just the general way that these movie musicals usually hit the big screen. When you think of every major show, there is a significant gap between premiering on Broadway and hitting film. After all, Hamilton (2020) waited five years to release their pro-shoot gem. It just doesn’t happen. Given that The Prom hit Broadway only two years ago, this feels unprecedented and gives me some concern about how good this could be.
Though to be honest, I am not one to pass up watching a good musical. I’m still clamoring for the day when live theater opens again, where we’re allowed to sit together and watch these talented actors sing and dance. That is why I’ve decided, in lieu of The Prom, to dedicate this week’s column to my personal favorite recent musicals which have had a significant release after 2010. This isn’t limited strictly to entertainment that I have seen live, though do know that it does add a level of favoritism in everything. There will be one show in particular here that I haven’t seen but have a deep love for its soundtrack.
If you want to play along, feel free to share your personal favorites in the comments section. Do know that while this is my personal five, there are three times as many vying for spots on this list. I love a good OBCR and have sorely missed them this year. So without further ado, curtains up, and let’s start the show!
1. Dear Evan Hansen
Long-time readers will be aware of the amount that I have brought up my love for this Pasek & Paul show, where I fawn over every new Ben Platt project in the hope that he becomes a superstar. I’ve also detailed at length why this show is very personal to me, helping me to break free of my own personal emotional struggles around 2017. Because of that, it’s a show I love unconditionally. The soundtrack holds a special place in my heart and, on the right day, songs like “You Will Be Found” have the power to shake me to my core.
As a form of theater, it’s revolutionary in how it chooses to talk about complicated emotions in a serious manner. Themes of anxiety, loneliness, and suicide all are brought up, given a contemporary lens that’s full of humor and revelations. It’s the quest to feel like one’s life matters in a society that maybe doesn’t understand them. Every character in the story suffers from some form of insecurity, some need to have a map to get through life. It’s the struggle to listen and understand that we’re all in this together, trying to make the most of our time here.
But again, it helps when the soundtrack is this strong. Any young actor worth their salt will have fun trying to make “For Forever” gradually build to something more euphoric. The way it feels structured while he bashfully adds details is a unique gift, and it conveys emotions in the subtext that aren’t always spoken. The show even manages to make breaking in a glove into this touching commentary on a father losing his son. The writing is strong and continues to pack as much laughter as it does pain, introducing a new generation to the theater with a bold, vivid, and honest story unlike any other.
2. The Book of Mormon
Fun fact: Prior to the lockdown, this was the last musical that I had seen in a theater. In my early 20s, this was the first show that got me to fall in love with contemporary musicals. It was far from my first production, but I was drawn to the idea of Matt Stone and Trey Parker creating this comedic takedown of religion, a jabbing satire of American salesmen culture that evolved into this dense parody of musical history. While the jokes themselves are funny, it will get even better if you know your history of shows by people like Sondheim or Rodgers & Hammerstein. There’s so much packed into this, and it’s one of the reasons that I’m very supportive of Andrew Rannells’ career since.
What keeps the show from feeling stale a near-decade later is that Robert Lopez’s score is at times brilliant, drawing the line between carefree cluelessness and outright offensive jokes. No character is unlikable, even during “I Am Africa” when they reduce an entire continent to stereotypes. It builds characters, reflecting America’s lack of understanding of the world around them. Sure, “I Believe” may take Mormonism to task for everyone getting their own planets, but the lyricism is strong, Rannells’ singing is so precise. There isn’t a punchline that oversteps the melody, and its bright-smile approach is perfectly subverted by an underlying sense of frustration from less sentimental characters like antagonist General Butt-Fucking Naked, who just go along for the ride.
As I’ve also discussed prior, it has one of the greatest opening songs in modern Broadway history, managing to turn doorbell ringing into an art form. Even if the show may lose some of its charm in the years ahead, maybe even ceasing to be funny, I can’t deny the fun that songs like “Two By Two” and “Turn It Off” have brought me, creating jokes for my more musical-minded friends. This is a great show that suggests that religion is silly, but sometimes it’s more important to believe in something for your own well-being. It may have a vicious approach to its satire, but it has one of the nicest hearts of any musical since.
3. Hadestown
There is a chance that, had theater not shut down, that this would be even higher on the list. I for one adore what this show has achieved. Even if I’m not all that familiar with the staging, I have a soft spot for the soundtrack, which details the story of an artist trying to make a song that changes the world. This update of Orpheus & Eurydice is an incredible lyrical journey, incorporating everything from folk music to New Orleans jazz. The Fates are a back-up band (they even have a Christmas album) and they’re some of the most enjoyably sassy narrators I’ve heard. Similarly, Andre DeShields as Hermes gives one of those great performances that makes me wish I could see this show already.
The journey to get Hadestown to Broadway has been a long and memorable one, taking a near-decade for triple-threat Anais Mitchell to helm the show and make it into its final form. You can tell that hard work was put into everything, especially in the final 20-minute stretch that is this harrowing journey through Hadestown, where emotions are at their highest and the peril is at its riskiest. If you can get out of it without feeling something, you are stronger than I am. To me, this story is all about the sacrifice we make for each other, to believe that we’re better than an oppressive industry that keeps us down, to keep our heads low. It’s a show that I feel is built to last, to be one of the greatest 21st-century works when all is said and done. All I need is to witness it for myself to fully believe that’s true.
4. Come From Away
While it’s the shortest on this list, it’s easily the most empathetic show I have seen live. Taking the events of September 11, 2001, it manages to take a small cast of characters and depict this New Foundland community of Ganger being overrun by thousands of wayward travelers. With heart and humor, it shows the best in humanity as the events unfold, finding a perfect tonal shift from confusion and uncertainty into these small character moments of vulnerability. This world is expansive, featuring “thousands” of characters all trying to survive and get home.
The best part is that it all works, where several characters are interchangeable, coming and going as the scene calls for it. By the end, it’s a revelation that humanity shares something fundamental that goes beyond where you’re from or what you do. As long as you care about your fellow man, they’ll accept you as family. It’s an interesting story deserving of more recognition, and I’m thankful that it was given such a fun adaptation (kiss the cod!) that captures the essence of the world in the days following 9/11. It wasn’t one of dreariness and revenge. It was one of coming together, finding hope for a brighter day. No show even comes close to understanding the power of kindness when it’s needed most, and thankfully it has a fun soundtrack to boot.
5. Waitress
With three simple words (sugar, butter, flour) Sara Bareilles’ shift into Broadway made one of the most enjoyable female-driven shows of recent years. Focusing on a waitress at Lulu’s Diner, it captures her struggle to figure out her life following pregnancy and a strange love story that never ceases to be interesting. With a great supporting cast, one of the highlights of the show is how versatile the line-up can be. Even if there are great actors who have made the roles their own, it’s amazing to know that this is one of the most plausible stunt-casting musicals imaginable. After all, where else are you going to get a show proudly declaring that weatherman Al Roker has a bit part and not feel a bit cringy?
Honorary Mention
Kinky Boots
If for no other reason, I love this show for giving Billy Porter one of his first noteworthy roles to mainstream audiences. He was born to play Lola, a drag queen who knows that sex is in the heel. By teaching a shoemaking factory how to market shoes to women, it creates a comical story of economic struggles alongside gender politics with very upbeat and inventive dance numbers. It’s a powerful celebration of being yourself that leaves you dancing and clapping along as the final song devolves into a dance party. It all feels earned, creating a show that helps to differentiate between the colors burgundy and red (and there IS a difference) and showing how much more exciting the world is once you stop and listen to those different from you.
What are your favorite musicals?
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